


Running Out of Room (To Write All the Names)

by Drag0nst0rm



Series: Even Shadows Have Stories [7]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Gen, The Purge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-30
Updated: 2016-08-30
Packaged: 2018-08-11 22:05:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7909327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drag0nst0rm/pseuds/Drag0nst0rm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's hard to keep track of all the deaths.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Running Out of Room (To Write All the Names)

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Merlin.

_Morwena, daughter of Gladys and Jacob, was drowned at age seven. I was unable to determine if she had magic, but she drew in the dirt with her left hand and had what folk called an evil eye. The drawings were beautiful._

He'd been relatively new when the afanc was hatched in the city's water supply and Gwen had been nearly burned at the stake. He'd been confused at what she thought would be her last request. Of course he'd remember her; how could he not?

All too easily, he learned. All too easily.

_Thomas Collins, son of Mary Collins, was beheaded at age forty for conjuring pictures out of sparks. His mother died in an attempt to avenge him. There are no further descendants to carry on the line._

You didn't talk about the people who died on the pyre. You didn't remember every servant who died in an attack, even if you were one yourself. How could you? You'd get in trouble for remembering fondly those who were executed, and no one could remember all the dead. There were too many. You'd go mad trying to think of them all.

_Halig brought in a cursed druid girl. Name: Unknown. Age: Unknown. Family: Unknown. She turned into a bastet and was hunted and killed in the Lower Town. Her body was not recovered._

He forgot. He shoved grief aside. He swore up and down there'd be a better tomorrow.

You forgot. It was the only way.

_Bartholomew Wilkins, orphaned in the dragon attack, was killed in the siege by reanimated skeletons at age five. He was buried in a mass grave with the others._

But someone had to remember, he realized eventually. Someone had to. It had to matter, or else what were they fighting for?

_M̶e̶r̶l̶i̶n̶,̶ a̶g̶e̶ ̶n̶i̶n̶e̶t̶e̶e̶n̶,̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ ̶p̶o̶i̶s̶o̶n̶ ̶-̶ ̶M̶e̶r̶l̶i̶n̶,̶ ̶a̶g̶e̶ ̶t̶w̶e̶n̶t̶y̶,̶ ̶a̶c̶c̶u̶s̶e̶d̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶r̶e̶a̶s̶o̶n̶ ̶-̶ ̶M̶e̶r̶l̶i̶n̶,̶ ̶a̶g̶e̶ ̶t̶w̶e̶n̶t̶y̶-̶t̶w̶o̶,̶ ̶m̶a̶c̶e̶ ̶w̶o̶u̶n̶d̶ ̶-̶ ̶ I am beginning to think that boy will live forever._

That was when he saw the list Geoffrey had made.

The librarian let him add in a few that had been overlooked.

And when Geoffrey finally collapsed from the strain, Merlin quietly took the book to his own room and added one more name to the list.


End file.
